 RFE/RL Afghanistan Report 05.06.2009 A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Afghanistan.For more stories on Afghanistan, please visit and bookmark our Afghanistan page . |
 Middle East Tops Agenda At Obama-Merkel Talks During their initial meeting in the eastern German city of Dresden, both leaders also discussed the global economic crisis and Washington's plans to close its military prison at Guantanamo Bay. More  Afghans Beat The Habit Afghanistan's Health Ministry announces new restrictions that prohibit smoking in offices, hospitals, airports, and other public areas. More  Behind Reports Of A German-U.S. 'Tug-Of-War' Visiting President Barack Obama dismisses media speculation of a rift between the U.S. and German governments. The media "fuss" stems from the White House's insistence that today's trip remain light on high-level events. More  Islamic World Reacts To Obama Address Initial responses to U.S. President Barack Obama's "new beginning" speech were generally but not universally positive. They ranged from a broad welcome by government officials and moderate Islamic leaders to outright rejection by Islamist groups. More  Obama Seeks 'New Beginning' In a speech at Cairo University broadcast on major media platforms around the globe, the U.S. president calls for mutual understanding, criticizes violent extremists and authoritarian leaders, admits past U.S. failures, and urges Muslims to look inward at some of their own shortcomings. More  Israel And Islam As U.S. President Barack Obama delivered his much-awaited speech to the Muslim world, many were listening keenly to hear his thoughts on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Is that conflict so central to U.S.-Muslim relations and peace in the Muslim world? More  Islam's Reformation and Obama's Speech President Obama can say very little about the specifics of the ongoing reformation of Islam. But modestly voicing support for those brave Muslim champions of Islamic diversity and civiilizational richness would actually be saying a lot. More  New Power Line Lights Up Afghan Capital The lights are on again in Kabul. And that’s no small change. For years, residents of the Afghan capital endured shortages of electricity, with power sometimes rationed to only a couple of hours a day. But thanks to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Afghanistan’s neighbor Uzbekistan, things are now looking a little brighter. More |
